Heat exchanger



Dec. 28, 1943. KENT ET AL 2,337,899

HEAT EXCHANGER Filed July 1, 194.2

Inventor-s: Milton F Kent, Stanley L. Jameson,

Their- Attorney.

"connection I l.

Patented Dec. 28, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE HEAT EXCHANGER Milton F. Kent and Stanley L. Jameson, Schenectady, N. Y., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of'New York Application July 1, 1942, Serial No. 449,228

Claims. (01.248-49) tion will become apparent and our invention will be better understood from the following description referring to the accompanying drawing, and the features of novelty which-characterize our invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In the drawing Fig., 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a heat exchanger provided with an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken along line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing we have shown a heat exchanger of a type used .as a surface cooler for'electrical apparatus and machines wherein cooling fluid is adapted to be circulated through a plurality of tubes I0 from a header which is supplied with cooling medium through a supply The cooling fluid is adapted to pass longitudinally through the tubes I0 and to be circulated by a return header I2 arranged at the end of the heat exchanger opposite the intake or supply connection II and to be exhausted through an exhaust connection Hi. In order to obtain this recirculation of cooling fluid, the tubes are arranged in two substantially'identical assemblies the upper half of which is supplied with cooling medium from the intake connection II and the lower half of which is connected with a header connecting with the exhaust connection l3. Both sets of tubes open into the recirculation header l2. The tubes in each set are assembled in a plurality of spaced apart rows with the tubes in adjacent rows arranged in staggered relationship, as more particularly shown in Fig. 2. In order to obtain a rigid assembly of the tubes and to minimize vibration, as well as to provide for the passage of ventilating medium over the tubes without too great a loss in pressure headjeach tube is provided with a rigid spacing collar element [4 and these collars are arranged in axial alignment intermediate the ends of the tubes. A

- plurality of these collars may be used depending upon the length of the tubes and the stiffening required. These collars M are formed with a circumferentially extending flange l5 and these flanges are arranged in supporting relationshipin contact'with adjacent collar flanges on adjacent tubes. A locating supporting bracket including a frame It having curved supporting openings ll formed in the surface thereof is arranged about the assembly of tubes, and

the curved frame surfaces 'l'! are arranged in contact with the reduced collar portions I4 to provide a frame having as deep a section as possible adjacent the parts 11 to assure-maximum rigidity thereto. The curved supporting surfaces ll of the frame It are arranged in contact with the collars It on the outer tubes of the assemblyfor holding these collars, and therefore the tubes, in assembled relationship. A transversely extending bar I8 is secured to one side of the frame l8 and a plurality of adjustable set screws l8 threadedly engage openings 20 in the bar l8 and are screwed into tight engagement with the adjacent outer collar flanges i5 of the adjacent outertubes I0, thus biasing all of the tube collar flanges into intimate rigid engagement with each other for preventing relative displacement of thetubes in the assembly.

In the illustrated construction, the biasing bar l8 and set of adjustable screws l9 are arranged at each open end of the heat exchanger. The sides of the heat exchanger are closed by sheet metal covers M which are rigidly secured to the frames l6 and to the header constructions at each end of the heat exchanger. In order to increase further the heat exchanging capacity of the heat exchanger,- each tube It is provided with a spiraled outwardly extending heat exchange fln element 22 which provides relatively large heat exchange surfaces for each tube.

- With such an arrangement vibration of the tubes elements on the different tubes.

I available heat transfer surface within a given space and provides a more efficient heat exchangerfor given overall dimensions.

While we have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of our invention, modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. We desire it to be understood, therefore, that our invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangement disclosed, and we intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of our invention.

What We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: t

1. In a heat exchanger having an assembly of a plurality of tubes'arranged in staggered relationship, outwardly extending heat transfer surfaces on said tubes, a rigid element arranged on each of said tubes and intermediate the ends tubes for biasing said' tube'rigid elements into intimate rigid engagement with each other for preventing relative displacement of said tubes.

2. In a heat exchanger having an assembly of a plurality'of tubes arranged in rows with the tubes in adjacentrows arranged in staggeredrelationship, .a' collar arranged'on each of said tubes in axial alignment and intermediate the said collar flanges being arranged in contact with adjacent collar flanges on adjacent tubes with a locating supporting bracket arranged about said assembly of tubes and in contact with said collars on the outer tubes of said assembly of tubes, and means arranged in engagement with said outer tube collar flanges for biasing said tube collar flanges into intimate rigid engagement with each other for preventing relative disfaces on said tubes, a collar with a flange thereon ends thereof, said collars being arranged in supporting relationship in contact with adjacent collars'on adjacent tubes with a locating supporting bracket arranged about said assembly of arranged on each of said tubes in axial align-, ment and intermediate the ends or said tubes, said collar flanges being arranged in supporting relationship in contact with adjacent collar flanges-on adjacent tubes with a locating supporting bracketarranged about said assembly of tubes and in contact'with said collars on the outer tubes of said assembly of tubes, and means including an adjustable set screw in said bracket arranged in engagement with a collar flange on an outer tube for biasing said tube collar flanges intointimate rigid engagement with each other for preventing relative displacement of said tubes.

'5. In a heat exchanger having an assembly of a plurality of tubes arranged in a plurality of spaced apart rows with the tubes in adjacent rows arranged in staggered relationship, a collar with a circumferentially extending flange theretubes and in contact with said collars onv the outer tubes of said assembly of tubes, and means including an adjustable set screw in said bracket 7 arranged in engagement with a collar on an outer tube for biasing said tube collars into intimate -rigid engagement with each other for preventing relative displacement of said tubes.

3. In a heat exchanger having an assembly 01' a plurality of tubes arranged in a plurality of spaced apart rows with the tubes in adjacent rows arranged in staggered relationship with 's'piraled outwardly extending heat transfer surfaces on said tubes, a collar with a circumferentially extending flange thereon arranged on each of said tubes and intermediate the ends thereof,

on arranged on each of said tubes in axial alignment and intermediate the ends of said tubes, said collar flanges being arranged insupporting relationship in contact with; adjacent collar flanges on adjacent tubes with a locating supporting bracket arranged about said assembly of tubes and in contact with said collars on the outer tubes of said assembly of tubes, and means including an adjustable set screw in said bracket arranged in engagement with a collar flange on an outer tube for biasing said tube collar flanges into intimate rigid engagement with each other for preventing relative displacement of said tubes. 0

MILTON F. KENT. STANLEY L. JAMESON. 

